At the Library

By Bailey Anderson | Mar 04, 2014

There’s nothing more luxurious than kicking back with a good book and a piping cup of tea on a cold winter night, but young adults often have a hard time finding a book to read because there are so many options. Finding the wrong book can be disheartening, but the only way to find out if a reader will enjoy a book is by trial and error.

The other problem with young adults finding a book they like is when they do find one they like, they read it over and over again. Think of books like Twilight, and The Hunger Games: how many times have many young adults read those? I’ve talked to teenagers who tally in at eight for the number of times they’ve read Twilight which seems to me like they were afraid that other books would pale in comparison.

That’s where the Teen Picks and Author of the Month programs at Washington Public Library come in. I’ve been heading up both programs since 2012 and my goal is to help teenagers find their new favorite book, whether I happen to be in the library or not.

Teen Picks are books that are praised by other teenagers and recommended to the entire young adult patronage. The program was bestowed upon me when a former page left for college and since becoming the brain of the operation I have made some major changes, like interspersing Teen Picks books with the regular young adult collection and modernizing the look of the summaries of the books.

The Author of the Month program was conceived entirely by me. After seeing the success of the Author of the Month program at the junior high school I attended, I made a suggestion to LeAnn. I had to bring it up a few times for me to sell her on the idea, and I was immediately named the brain of that program, too. Both projects require craftiness, creativity, and knowledge of what appeals to young adults.

I can’t do all of this promotion on my own, however. I need the help of every young adult who checks out a book from the library. If they like the book they check out, I urge them to fill out a recommendation sheet and bring it to the front circulation desk so every other young adult patron knows how good that book is.

On another note, the 23rd Annual Photo Artistry Exhibit titled “Alaska via Canada” by Lyle Moen and Nancy Rash is on display at the Washington Public Library, Helen Wilson Gallery through March 28. The exhibit features rivers, lakes, mountains, glaciers, wildlife, interviews and more. Come take a peek!

The following new materials are available.

Gifts & Memorials

The Fox in the Library by Lorenz Pauli donated by the Washington Rotary Club to honor the February 2014 Rotary program speakers